HOW TO: Add LPT Ports in Windows 2000 (262032)

IN THIS TASK

SUMMARY
- Adding additional LPT Ports
REFERENCES

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

By default, there are three LPT ports available in Windows 2000. These ports are LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. This article describes how to add additional ports (up to LPT9). After you add additional LPT ports, they appear as available printer ports in the Add Printer Wizard.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

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Adding additional LPT Ports

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
Click the following registry key. The current LPT ports are displayed in the right pane:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Ports
On the Edit menu, click Add Value.
Add a new value with the following attributes:
Value Name: LPT#:
Data Type: REG_SZ
String: <blank>
NOTE: When you create the new value name, replace "#" in the "LPT#:" value name with the number of the LPT port you want to add.
Quit Registry Editor.
Stop and restart the Spooler service by typing net stop spooler and then net start spooler at a command prompt.

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